Don't Be Fooled by Ads for VoIP Phone Systems

Introductory pricing, special offers, discounts... Are you really getting a good deal with National VoIP Company offers?

Demand for VoIP Phone Systems is Stronger than Ever

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted many companies to allow employees to work from home, thus creating a demand for cloud-based VoIP phone systems. VoIP, a method to place and receive calls over the internet instead of a regular phone line, provides the flexibility to work from anywhere at any time.

Additionally, the VoIP phone system works with IP phones, computers, tablets, and smartphones – any device with an internet connection. With cloud-based VoIP phone systems, employees are able to access advanced features that are not available with a traditional phone line, such as video conferencing and CRM integration.

Traditional Business Phone Systems are Becoming a Thing of the Past

Even before the pandemic, on-premises legacy phone system manufacturers saw that traditional phone systems were becoming a thing of the past. As a result of decreasing demand, dozens of these manufacturers went out of business. The telecommunications industry has lost some big players such as Toshiba, Samsung, Nortel, Comdial, and Vodavi.

Others are moving to compete in the Cloud-Hosted VoIP Phone Systems industry. More recently, major telecommunications companies like Verizon, Comcast, AT&T, Cox Communications, and Century Link, have joined the VoIP race.

How National VoIP Phone Systems Companies Fall Short

However, national VoIP companies have fallen short on customer service. Businesses are frustrated at having to install IP phone equipment and configure the VoIP system themselves. They're unable to take full advantage of VoIP features. Calls for support, programming, and troubleshooting are either directed to a self-service portal where customers are left to figure it out on their own or they're stuck on phone support. In other words, customers are abandoned after the sale.

Over the past few years, national VoIP companies began losing thousands of customers, and stock prices started trending downward. In February 2022, RingCentral (RNG) was down 59%, 8X8 (EGHT) was down 58%, Ooma (OOMA) was down 20%, and the list goes on.

As this downward trend continues, many are adopting different strategies in an attempt to retain customers. They offer deals such as entry-level pricing, special offers, and coupons.

Instead of simply reducing monthly pricing, they added a few simple features and offered reduced yearly pricing — if you purchased the year upfront. However, everything else costs extra, such as on‑site installation, training, customization, and local support, as well as IP desk phones that must be purchased upfront. Essential business features like custom voicemail, call recording, and business app integration are also additional. That deal you thought you were getting really is no deal!

Why Do National VoIP Companies Charge by the Extension?

Most importantly, national VoIP companies charge monthly licensing fees for every extension inside and outside of the office, regardless of how often the phone is used.

Do You Really Need as Many Outside Lines and Licenses as You Have Extensions?

There are two basic factors that affect the cost of VoIP phone systems. First is the number of extensions you need, and second is the number of outside lines, or call paths.

Businesses have little usage of some extensions, such as those in copier rooms, lunchrooms, empty offices, and on manufacturing and warehouse floors. Do you really need to pay for all those licenses if no one is using them? If you add it up, these unused licenses could easily cost you thousands of dollars every year.

For example, you may have 30 internal and external extensions, but only 16 people need to be on the phone at any given time. This means you really only need to purchase licensing for 16 call paths, not 30 licenses.

Lighthouse Communications is Your Local, Certified VoIP Phone Systems Provider

When it comes to choosing your VoIP phone system provider, you have many national brand name options. However, you'll be on your own for installation, setup, training, and much more. Working with a local company for your VoIP phone system means you never have to go it alone.

Lighthouse Communications presents Total Voice — a complete VoIP cloud-based phone system that meets your unique telecommunication needs with advanced features and local, personalized service and support.

With our all-inclusive pricing solution, all you need is internet. Your business can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your monthly phone bill. With Total Voice, you only pay for the maximum number of simultaneous calls that you may need. It's the perfect solution for businesses where the number of extensions is significantly higher in comparison to the number of actual calls.

Furthermore, Lighthouse Communications includes the features that other companies class as add-ons, such as video conferencing, mobile and desktop apps, CRM integration, and call center features. That's right, with Lighthouse Communications Total Voice, there are no extra costs for the features you need!

With expertise in all aspects of cloud-based VoIP phone systems, Lighthouse Communications is ready to supply, install and support your customized Total Voice solution. Whether your business is a startup, a growing company, or even downsizing, our Total Voice solutions can lower costs, increase productivity, drive revenue, and enhance the customer experience. Now that's a real deal!